Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) will present a reading of “Home is a Verb,” a new play by Melissa Cooper based on true stories about the challenges faced when returning home after prison. Directed by Richard Hamburger, this one-night-only presentation of “Home is a Verb” will benefit RTA, whose mission is to use the transformative power of the arts to develop social and cognitive skills that prisoners need for successful reintegration into the community, while raising public awareness of the humanity behind prison walls. The cast will feature professional actors alongside RTA alumni, and actor Michael K. Williams, best known for his portrayal of Omar on HBO’s The Wire, is scheduled to appear that evening as a special guest.

After working inside the prison system for over 20 years, RTA has a significant community of alumni who have participated in their programs inside and have since been released (while the national recidivism rate is nearly 60%, less than 7% of RTA members return to prison). Over the past three years, a group of RTA alumni have met regularly to share their stories detailing the challenges of reentry, which were woven into a this full-length play by Melissa Cooper.

“Home is a Verb” highlights years of hopes and dreams as they slam painfully against reality. When you return from prison, you are a different person. Home is a different place. One man returning from 32 years in prison needs help crossing the street; another is brought to tears when he loses sight of his wife in Walmart. The play explores reentry issues large and small (How do I submit a resume online and, by the way, how do I account for those missing years? A hamburger now costs HOW MUCH?!) with the goal of creating a better understanding of the imporatance of effective rehabilitation and support through the process of reentry.